
By Kate Shone, Managing Director, Torus Foundation
Housing associations exist to ensure that those in greatest housing need are provided with a good quality property in which someone can create a home. Our work goes beyond simply putting roofs over people’s heads, however the operating environment is becoming more and more challenging.
Torus owns and manages over 40,000 properties in North West England. The majority of our stock is located in Liverpool, St Helens and Warrington. We operate across 11 local authority areas and we maintain excellent relationships with a range of partners to create good places to live at the same time as helping people with some of life’s challenges.
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation estimates that 40% of people living in social housing live in poverty*. This would equate to over 17,000 people livening in a property owned or managed by Torus not including any other household members. The figures are staggering and the impact of poverty can be seen every day. However people can fall into and escape poverty, it’s not a permanent state. One of the ways which can help people to move out of poverty is to enter meaningful work.
The numbers of people who are economically inactive due to ill health and therefore unable to work is higher than pre pandemic levels. With the Government promising significant investment in the upcoming Get Britain Working White Paper, it really is time to think differently about how organisations work together to help people into meaningful work.
Housing associations have a trusted relationship with tenants and are there for a tenant’s lifetime. Our longstanding relationships with tenants and communities enables us to gain insight into their lives, their aspirations, their strengths and the challenges that they face.
It’s estimated that 25% of people who live in social housing will be living with a disability and therefore could potentially be claiming inactive welfare benefits. The new White Paper is focused on supporting those who can, to enter work and to put the support around them to enable them to sustain their employment.
Housing associations are one of the biggest investors in employment services, second only to the DWP. Many associations, like Torus will provide an employment and skills offer for tenants, others may commission specialists to deliver and some will signpost tenants to services in their local community.
This combination provides an opportune moment for housing associations to establish new partnerships, rekindle the old or build on existing relationships to deliver impactful, meaningful employment and skills support.
Housing associations are great organisations to work with, they are rooted in communities for the long term, well governed and financially sound. They can bring so much to a partnership and always available for a conversation about programmes that will help tenants and communities.
Reference
*UK Poverty 2024, Joseph Rowntree Foundation January 2024 The essential guide to understanding poverty in the UK